Sentiment Unleashed
by ninjamidori
Summary: Coming together at last. A collection of random drabbles. InuXKag. Maybe some SanXMir.
1. Cloud 9

Kagome was on cloud nine.

Practically skipping through the halls, she hummed a tune as she made her way towards the girls locker room; she was late for gym, but she couldn't find it in herself to care as much as she normally would.

"Hojo-kun on Saturday, Hojo-kun on Saturday..." she sang happily.

"Oi."

"Hmm?" Not realising the call was directed at her at first, Kagome slid to a stop- almost comically- when she saw the black haired boy staring at her expectantly from a few feet away. "Oh, Inuyasha."

He began walking towards her, and she met him halfway, still giddy with excitement; there was a bounce to her step that would have been hard not to notice.

"What's got you so excited?" Questioned her lab partner, almost gruffly. There was a troubled look in his eyes, but Kagome didn't really pay that any mind- she chalked it up to his usual demeanour.

"Hojo-kun finally asked me out!" She gushed, clasping her hands together to keep them from flailing.

Inuyasha's eyes hardened.

"I didn't think he ever would, I'm so happy!" Continued Kagome obliviously. "He just pulled me aside after class and asked if I wanted to see a movie on Saturday, and oh! he even gave me a gift, here look, I'll-"

"Kagome."

Turning from her shoulder bag, which she'd opened to locate her acquired present, Kagome looked at the tan boy questioningly. His head was down, and his hands were balled into fists.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said in confusion.

They stood there, neither one moving, with Kagome becoming both more worried and bewildered with each passing second.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" She whispered, taking a step towards him, her hands out, ready to comfort him if he needed it.

He didn't answer.

"Inuyasha?..." she said again.

His fists loosened, but he still didn't move.

"I don't have a gift for you," he said finally.

When he reached for her, she still didn't understand- she was frowning in confusion, but readily accepted his embrace, wrapping her arms around him automatically.

When he kissed her, she finally understood.


	2. Name tags and Coffee

"That'll be five sixty-seven."

Handing over a twenty, the man before her sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You doin' okay today?" Kagome asked softly, not wanting to seem nosy. The man was a regular, coming in every morning ten minutes after opening. Even though she knew very little about him, she felt like they were friends, almost- acquaintances at least. He was always very polite, but also very quiet; Sango, the store manager, had once called him 'taciturn', but Kagome didn't think that was the right word.

"I'm alright," he said, giving her a small but genuine smile. "Just dealin' with some stuff."

She hummed in understanding, handing him his change and sliding him his receipt over the glass top. "Got it. Well, if there's any way I can help, let me know and I'd be happy to."

He grinned. "I'll be sure to do that."

She smiled brilliantly at him. "Good."

Then he moved off to the side to wait for his coffee, and she greeted the customer behind him.

As she took their order, she couldn't help but sneak glances at the man she'd just spoken to. He was leaning against the counter, the picture of ease, and she suddenly felt a rush of something down in her stomach.

"Order 7," Sango called to her, catching her off guard. Smiling, Kagome picked up the coffee and lemon scone from the back counter, turning to hand it to the man from before.

"Order up," she said, softer than she had meant to, but he heard her anyway. She presented him with his items, but he paused, hands halfway to them, and looked at her.

"Your hair covers your name tag."

Blinking in surprise, Kagome looked down at her vest, where her name tag should be, and saw that he was right. Setting the coffee down, she brushed her hair over her shoulder, straightening the tag and her vest along with it.

"Kagome," he mused, sounding as if he was testing how her name felt in his mouth.

"Yeah..." She murmured, suddenly bashful.

He smirked. "I'm Inuyasha."

Before she could do anything but blush and smile, he had picked up his coffee, setting something down on the counter in its place, and plucked the scone from her hands.

He walked away, and Kagome picked up the slip of paper he had left behind.

_'Going to the movies would be very helpful. I was thinking tomorrow at 7. Call if interested.'_

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Kagome folded the paper and stuck it in her vest pocket next to her cellphone; she'd program his number in later.

She was so delighted that she didn't even hear Sango's cry of disbelief.

"That guy stuck a 50 in the tip jar!"


	3. There's a difference

"Hey, Inuyasha."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering..."

" You're always wondering. What is it this time?"

"Well, when all this is over..."

"... Yeah? What is it? Spit it out already!"

"... What will happen then?"

"... Whaddya mean?"

"Well... I don't know if I'll have any more reason to stay here. In this time."

"... So... You're gonna leave? Forever?"

"... I don't know."

"..."

"..."

"... Do you... Want to leave?"

"... I don't know."

"What!? How can you 'not know'?!"

"I... Don't know."

"Wench, is there anything you DO know?!"

"I love you."

"... What?"

"I love you. That's what I know. I love you, Inuyasha. And if you want me to, I will stay."

"Wench, do YOU want to stay!"

"I do if you want me to."

"That's not what I asked! What do YOU want?!"

"Why does that matter?"

"BECAUSE! ... Because..."

"... Inuyasha?..."

"... Kagome... I want you to have what YOU want. I... I want you to be happy, where you are. If its not here, then that's fine, we can live in your time if that would be better for you. The important thing is-"

"What? Wait, Inuyasha, what did you say?"

"What?! Wench, I'm talking! I thought they taught you manners in your time!"

"Can you just say that again? I must have heard you wrong... I thought you said 'we'..."

"I DID SAY 'WE'!"

"What?! Why?!"

"Why are you so shocked?!"

"Because... I thought... You..."

"I what?!"

"... Never mind..."

"No, now I wanna know!"

"It's not important!"

"Just say it!"

"No!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"IT'S KIKYO!"

"... What? What about her? What does this even have to do with her?!"

"I thought you... Wanted to be with her. When this was over."

"With Kikyo?! Kagome, I dunno if you've noticed, but Kikyo is dead."

"I KNOW THAT!"

"THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!"

"YOU LOVE HER!"

"... I care for her."

"... What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means I care about her! I care about what happens to her. I don't want her to hurt. I want to protect her."

"Inuyasha, that means that you love her."

"But it's different!"

"What is?!"

"How I feel! Listen, with Kikyo, I feel terrible! I feel like a failure! I'm sad, and regretful! I let her down! I'll probably never get over that fact! She's dead, and if I had just paid a shred of attention, had a TINY BIT of faith in her, that might not have happened! It's shit! And I'm reminded of that on a near DAILY BASIS. And no, before you start getting into that, it's NOT BECAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE HER, don't be stupid! It's because of all this shit with fucking Naraku! How the fuck am I supposed to forget when we're tracking down her fucking murderer?! Not only that, but when I actually SEE HER FACE, it's ten times worse! It feels like I'm being ground into the dirt when I'm with her, or at least I should be!"

"Inu-"

"But Kagome, when I'm with you, I don't feel that way! Kagome, when I'm with you, I'm HAPPY. When I'm with you, I'm good, I'm capable of so much more! Kagome, all I have to do is LOOK AT YOU. I look at you, Kagome, I LOOK AT YOU, and I'm... I'm home!"

"... Inuyasha?..."

"... I care about Kikyo. She was the first one to treat me like I was somebody, after a long time of everyone snubbing me as if I was less than nobody. Maybe, back then, I loved her. Maybe. I think of it now, after knowing you, and I kinda doubt it, because it was different from this, from us. I wasn't really happy. Relieved, maybe. Disbelieving."

"You could have. If there had been no Naraku, I think you would have loved her."

"Maybe. But, that doesn't really matter now."

"..."

"..."

"So... If she asks you to go to Hell with her after all..."

"I'll say no. Once Naraku is killed, I'll have avenged her. She'll have to be happy with that. Besides, i don't think she'll ask anyway; she's not like that anymore."

"..."

"..."

"... Maybe I will stay. Eventually. I'd like to finish my education first, though."

"You mean fighting those weak 'entrance exam' demons? Would that make you happy?"

"Not exactly, but it would make Mama happy. I'd like that."

"... So... You'll stay with me, after all?"

"Of course. I promised, didn't I?"

"... Did you?"

"Haha, never mind."

"Tell me!"

"No, it's nothing."

"God, you're annoying sometimes."

"I know."

"...! W-what was that for?!"

"That was your welcome home kiss."

"...oh..."

"Was it... Bad?..."

"... Can I have another?"

"Haha. Always."


	4. The Lack of Murder

Sometimes, Sango marvelled at the fact that she had yet to commit murder.

Feeling an arm wrap around her waist, she looked up into her boyfriends laughing eyes.

"Come on Sango, it was an accident, I swear!"

"Oh, right, you slapping my butt for the fifth time today was an accident. Again. Okay."

Cradling his red and quite sore cheek, Miroku grinned. "Glad we finally have an understanding!"

She could feel her heart pounding, unwillingly, at the look of his smile.

"... I hate you."

"I love you too, Sango."


	5. Mr Suave

"Inuyasha, just ask her."

"No! Dammit Miroku, it's not that simple!"

"Why not? Inuyasha, you're acting like its the end of the world; it's a DANCE. Not a marriage proposal."

Slamming his locker door shut, Inuyasha glared at his best friend. "Fine! What do I say then, Mr. Suave?"

"How about, 'Hey Kagome, wanna go to the dance with me?' That should do wonders."

"That'll never work!"

"Wanna bet?"

"I bet you twenty."

"Okay," Miroku grinned, "It's a bet. Now ask so I can win."

"I'll ask so I can win, lecher!" Inuyasha snapped. Seeing Kagome and Sango walking in their direction, he marched over and planted himself in front of them.

As soon as Kagome looked at him, her big brown eyes intensely curious, his knees turned to jelly. Ignoring his nervousness, he took a deep breath. When he let it out, he went for it.

"Hey Kagome, wanna go to the dance with me?"

She smiled, wide and beautiful, and his heart leaped. "I was hoping you would ask that."

Leaning up to kiss him sweetly on the cheek, she nodded. "Of course I do, Inuyasha. I'll be ready by eight, okay?"

He nodded, feeling as if he would burst. She giggled, squeezed his hand, and walked away with Sango, who received a very discreet wink from a certain lecherous male; she grinned at him, and nodded in approval.

Miroku sidled up to Inuyasha, grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

"Told ya."

Grabbing two twenties from his wallet, Inuyasha used them to smack Miroku on his temple, then handed them to him. "Shut it, lecher."


	6. Seven Minutes in Heaven

Kagome was not a party person.

She did not stay up late (unless it was for studying), she did not listen to loud music, and she most certainly didn't play drinking games– or drink at all, for that matter.

And yet.

"Spin!" Whooped Miroku, bottle of tequila in hand as he swayed tipsily from side to side, even while sitting criss cross on the floor. Sango giggled loudly from her place in his lap, her cheeks ruddy from alcohol. "Inuyasha, your turn!"

A sigh was heard from one end of the circle.

"What am I spinning for?"

"Seven minutes in heaven!" Cried the circle unanimously– well. Most of it.

Kagome was sitting Indian style on the hardwood floor, smushed between her friends Eri and Yuka. She winced at the noise level, then glanced at Inuyasha. He was the only other person at the party who was completely sober; he caught her eye, a deadpan look on his face, and she shrugged, as if to say 'why not?'. After all, they might as well let them have their fun before their killer hangovers tomorrow morning.

"... Fine."

The rest of the circle cheered, and Inuyasha spun the bottle. It whirled for a bit, slowing down after about ten seconds. When it finally stopped, there was laughter sprinkled all about.

"Oops," Eri giggled, glancing between herself and Kagome. "Which one?"

Kagome had turned completely, unwillingly red, much to her chagrin. "Eri," she said adamantly. "It's closer to Eri."

"Nooooooo," laughed Yuka, hiccuping a bit at the end. "Kagome, it's pointing at you!"

Sango, hearing this, belted out a cheer. "Kagome and Inuyasha! Seven minutes in heaven!"

"Oh, god..." Kagome muttered.

"KAGOME AND INUYASHA!" Echoed the circle, laughing and reaching for the pair. Kagome yelped as she felt a number of hands grasp her, lifting her and carrying her to the designated closet. She heard a curse behind her, and could only guess that Inuyasha was getting the same treatment.

"Guys!" She protested, wiggling around, trying to break free. "Stop! I can walk, at least!"

Then she was dumped, quite unceremoniously, onto the closet floor. She heard a grunt, and felt a spasm of pain as her partner landed hard on her arm.

"Be good," sang Miroku from somewhere behind them.

Then the door was slammed shut.

"Fuck," growled Inuyasha. "I'm gonna kill them when they're sober again."

"Ouch," whimpered Kagome, squeezing her eyes shut as the boy on top of her shifted onto his hands and knees.

He froze when he heard her. "What? Are you okay, Kagome?!" He whispered frantically. "You're hurt?!"

"I'm fine," she laughed weakly. "You just weigh a bit more than when we were kids, is all..."

"Oh, god, what did I land on?!"

"My arm, but I feel better now that you're up."

She felt warm hands run down her arm, and shivered at the sensation.

"Nothing broken," he said in relief. "I'll check it better when we're out of here, okay?"

"I'm really fine now," she smiled to herself. She felt hands grab around her waist– gently– to pull her up, and she realised Inuyasha must have stood.

His arms wrapped around her protectively, and she felt his lips press against her neck. "I'm still gonna check..." He murmured into her skin, sending more shivers down her spine. She could sense his smirk when he felt them.

"You know, you were pretty convincing back there, Kagome..." he almost purred, and she smiled at the change of subject. "If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you were actually nervous."

She giggled breathily, leaning into his touch, running her hand up his thigh. "That wasn't fake, actually... Old habits die hard."

"Mm. Hey, do you think we should tell them? About us, I mean."

Kagome turned in his arms, brushing her hands up his chest to place them on his shoulders. She knew instinctively where his lips would be, but she paused less then a millimetre away from them.

"Nah."

Then she kissed him, enjoying the familiar feeling of him being pressed against her in every way.

And if anyone noticed how the seven minutes turned into thirty...

Well, no one said anything.


	7. Waiting

"I can't."

"You can, Kagome. You can do it. You can forget him."

"Dammit, Miroku, it's not that simple!"

"How do you know?"

"Because he was everything! EVERYTHING. He's been everywhere! He was all I ever wanted! He was the air I breathed! He was the space that filled my soul! He was the gap in between reality and illusion! Miroku, I would have died for him, KILLED for him! I can't forget!

I can't! When you spend so long loving someone, you can't just drop those feelings! I can't! I _can't_!"

Miroku shifted, stepping up behind her and laying his hand on her shoulder. No matter how she tried to hide it, he could still feel her shaking.

"You can't, or you won't?"

She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes tightly, taking the quick flash of gold and holding it there.

"Sango is waiting for you," she whispered hoarsely.

His grip tightened. "She awaits both of us."

"I am sorry."

"Don't do this."

"I loved him."

"We all did."

"Not as I did."

"Please, Kagome."

"Miroku..."

She turned to face him, a peaceful smile on her face, and he dropped his hand to his side at the familiar sight. She was older now, with salt and pepper hair and many wrinkles in her face, but she still had the same beautiful smile.

"He's waiting for me," she whispered.

Miroku's mouth tightened, the corners quivering downward. Kagome leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him, squeezing as hard as she could. He seemed to sag into her, laying his head on top of hers for a moment, remembering sunny days and old adventures. When she let go, he huffed out a shaky breath. His eyes were watery, but he smiled all the same.

"Till we meet again, Kagome-sama."

"I will miss you, Miroku."

He turned away and shut his eyes tightly, clenching his fists by his sides.

There was a rush of air, a slip of gravel, and when he looked back a moment later, the priestess was gone.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the blinding light; it was so bright it made her shut them again immediately.

_He_ was the second thing.

"Damn, wench, it's about time you woke up!"

At the sound of his voice, her eyes flew open once more. She felt her heart clench, his name stuck in her throat, and then she was moving, getting up and propelling herself towards him with as much force as she could muster.

"_Inuyasha_!"


	8. The Lion and The Lambs

Footsteps pounded on the beaten path, sprinting towards oblivion with nothing but a frantic heartbeat to guide them.

At the head of the pack, Inuyasha Taisho ran with a kind of self assured grace- as if he knew what they would be facing. As if he had faced it himself, and survived.

Breaking through what seemed to be eons of foliage, the soldiers crashed into a small clearing, filled with wildflowers; a small hut sat on the far end, looking old but well cared for. A stream bubbled somewhere close by, and ripened fruits could be seen hanging from the trees.

"Here." Inuyasha murmured, his voice almost blending with the stillness.

Scattered noises began amongst the men as they collectively took a defensive stance. Whispers of tomfoolery flit from one another in quick succession; theories of a wild goose chase spread like wild fire. _Here, he said? Here? She would be here?_

Inuyasha smiled.

"I seek an audience with the Witch of the Woodlands," he called, sounding confident, yet respectful.

Silence held for a moment, filling the soldiers minds with a kind of unease that seated itself in the center of their judgement. _Here? Is he sure? Is he mad? Do we run?_

The straw mat in the hut doorway was pushed aside, and out stepped a small, black haired young woman. She walked upright, towards the middle of the clearing, looking happy, and even content, with each step.

The soldiers all froze, fight or flight response kicking in as they watched the angelic woman come their way.

She stopped in front of the Captain, looking up at him with a kind of softness in her eyes.

"Inuyasha," she said, sounding amused. "You know there is no Witch here."

"Forgive me," he sighed, clasping her hand in his. "It was all I could do to get them to follow me."

"And now?" She smiled.

"Now," he grinned, turning towards the soldiers, scarlet eyes filled with a bloodlust that chilled them to the bone, "We feast."


	9. Worth it

The man thought, as he lay there, that he really only had one wish.

"Sango," he whispered softly, catching the attention of the woman in the cell next to him.

"Houshi-sama..." She replied, and he hated how defeated she sounded. Her bleak tones grated on his heart, ripping it to shreds with every word she spoke. '_She doesn't deserve this_,' he thought bitterly. She had done nothing wrong.

"Please, Sango, I need to know one thing."

There was a pause, and he heard her fidget on the hard stone floor.

"Yes?" She said finally. "What is your question?"

He took a deep, cleansing breath.

"Did you love me?"

He heard her breath catch, but she gave no answer. The silence was unbearable, and so he spoke to cover it, and maybe to lessen the blow of his rejection, just a little.

"Sango," he whispered, "I have only one regret in my life, and it is this: When we were younger, you spoke to me of traveling the world, and testing your hand at adventures. You told me of your dream, and I readily agreed with you, for all I wanted was to make you happy— all I wanted," he said hoarsely, "was to make you love me.

"And so I worked, day and night, preparing to make your dreams come true. But as I worked, there were things I missed— your laughter, your birthday, and... Your courtship.

"And then, when I came to your house that day, proud and excited, because finally, I could make you happy, finally, I could give you what you'd wanted, the adventure that you'd hoped for..."

He closed his eyes, willing himself to forget how she used to smile at him before that day.

"...You were married."

He heard her let out a deep, shuddering breath, and couldn't help but feel the same crushing horror that he'd felt that day all over again. The pain so unbearable that he'd gotten on a ship, crossed the ocean just to run from it.

He'd been foolish, of course. He couldn't run from her. He couldn't run from this.

"I have only one regret, Sango..." He repeated slowly, so as to lessen the shaking of his voice. "Just one out of a whole life. Sango, when I got on that ship... "

He heard her take in a sharp breath then, as if preparing herself for what he would say.

"... I regret not taking you with me."

A sudden sob burst from beside him, and he jumped up, startled to find her clutching the bars between them, pressing her face to them in desperation.

"Why didn't you ask?!" She cried, tears streaming down her dirt covered face, leaving tracks that showed him the paleness of her skin. "I would have gone with you, had you only asked me! I would have left him!"

He was frozen to the spot, his chest heaving with every breath he took as the gears turned in his head. _Impossible_.

"Miroku, you fool!" she whimpered. "The marriage was my fathers doing, surely you knew that!_ I loved you!_ I love you, _still!_ My heart is yours, and yours alone! And this," she shook the bars violently, before slipping her hand between them and reaching out for him, "this is worth everything! Everything, and _anything_, just to see you again!"

Unthinkingly, he stepped forward, clasping her hand in his and holding it to his chest as tightly as he could.

They stayed there, both their hearts aching as they thought of the wasted time between them.

"You loved me?" He said quietly.

"More than anything," she choked out.

He opened his mouth, another question on the tip of his tongue, but he never got to ask as he heard keys jangle by his cell door.

His heart stopped, and he looked up to see her eyes widening in horror. She shook her head slowly, and he wondered for a moment if she would ask him not to go this time. He remembered that back then, that was all he'd wanted her to say. The irony would be killer.

"I love you," he whispered.

The key clicked in the lock, and the cell door was thrown open with a loud bang.

Miroku closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself to let go of her, one last time.

"Fuck!" came a curse from hall, followed by the sound of a keyring dropping. "Wench, we're trying to be fucking _quiet_, remember?!"

"I'm sorry!" Quipped another voice, distinctly female— and Miroku realised he knew those voices.

"Inuyasha?!" He called in surprise, whipping his head to the doorway to see his best friend smirking down at him, with Kagome standing behind him, smiling happily.

"What's with the surprise, bozo? You didn't think I'd leave you to die? Who else would be my second in command?"

Miroku felt his face break into a huge smile, one so big it was almost painful. "You took your time, Captain."

"Yeah, well, that's her fault!" Growled Inuyasha, jerking his thumb back towards Kagome. "She's the one who insisted on all this 'stealth' crap! You know if it were me I'd have just taken you back straight off."

"I know," chuckled Miroku, squeezing Sango's hand in his. '_We're gonna be okay_.'

"Miroku-sama," Kagome said suddenly, catching both the men's attention, "who's this?"

Miroku caught Inuyasha's eye, conveying to him everything he couldn't have said. He had made his past no secret to his best friend.

"Unlock the other door, Kagome," Inuyasha said, his voice ringing with authority, "and then let's head back. This place stinks."

Kagome smiled gently, then quickly unlocked the other cell door, walking over to Sango and holding out her arm as support. She beckoned for her to grab onto it, and after giving a quick look to Miroku, who nodded, she did.

Miroku did the same, clasping Inuyasha's hand when he offered it to help him up. They shut the cell doors, relocking them, and then there was a pause as Kagome pulled out a water flask from her pack, handing it to the former captives to drink, which they did gratefully.

"Two things," Inuyasha said suddenly, catching everyone's attention, but looking only at Sango. "One: there are no freeloaders on my ship. If you're gonna come, you're gonna work. It can be dangerous, so be prepared. Two," and here his face became cold, his eyes hardening unforgivingly as he crossed his arms testily, "if you break his heart, you're walking the fucking plank."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said sternly, frowning at his best friend, but he paid him no heed, staring straight at Sango, and she stared back without hesitation.

"If I break his heart," she said evenly, "then the plank is too good for me."

Inuyasha's eyes softened, and he turned around and crouched, beckoning to Sango. "Come on then, woman, I saw that limp. Miroku's in no state to carry you, and I can't have you slow us down. Get on."

She smiled, then nodded. Kagome and Miroku shared a glance, both of them intrigued at their sudden camaraderie, but not willing to say anything and possibly ruin it. Miroku stared at Sango, her chestnut hair shining even in the dim light of the dungeon, and it hit him that she had chosen him. All this time, she had been waiting for him to come for her. His heart beat faster as he fully absorbed that fact.

She turned back and smiled at him, her love for him shining on her face, and he felt like running up and kissing her as hard as he could.

"She seems nice," Kagome whispered to him, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"She is," he grinned happily.

"Oi! What are you guys doing?! Let's go, I wasn't joking around when I said it fucking stinks in here!" Inuyasha snapped, his pace not slowed at all, even with Sango on his back.

"Right!" Kagome giggled, jogging to catch up to the pair ahead, and, his head spinning in excitement, Miroku did the same, running up and slipping Sango's hand into his.

She smiled brightly at him, and he grinned up at her, kissing her hand and rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin.

"Hey, no lovey-dovey when you're in such close proximity. Save it for the wedding, lecher."

"No promises."

"I'll give you kitchen duty for a week, dammit. Don't test me."

"Inuyasha, at this point in my life, I would gladly accept whatever punishment you give me. It is well worth it."

"... Whatever, lech."


End file.
